Dallas Mavs Film Study: How Ready is Dereck Lively II as Defensive Anchor?

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II continues to hold the team's trust entering the rookie season. Watch a deep-dive analysis of his defensive impact so far.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks face pressure to bounce back from a disappointing season that resulted in them missing the playoffs for the first time in three years. An integral part of the team's roster configuration will be rookie center Dereck Lively II, acquired using a trade down during the NBA Draft involving the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lively, 19, has received rave reviews from the Mavs organization since being drafted No. 12 in the order. He has spent months training at the team facility while spending time with Tyson Chandler throughout the development process — who the organization compared to even on the night of making the selection in late June.

"I'm looking at myself all over again," Chandler said of Lively during Summer League in Las Vegas. "It's crazy, to be honest. It sparks energy within, like seeing him and remembering where I was at that time. He has everything in front of him right now."

Before his first regular season campaign begins, Lively has already encountered some tests to determine his readiness to fill what will likely be a starting role at this juncture. Averaging 3.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 19.1 minutes per game, he had to hold his own against the Minnesota Timberwolves' star frontcourt pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in Abu Dhabi; then, he faced a different style of play against Real Madrid in Spain. 

Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II guarding Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the 2023 NBA preseason :: Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images

After the Mavs' loss to Real Madrid — completing their 12-day international preseason trip — coach Jason Kidd noted that Lively has done "extremely well" with the starting group and he's done "everything" to be the starter. 

"Look at what Lively has done here on this trip. He's doing extremely well starting with the starters," Kidd said after the Mavs' loss to Real Madrid. "He's doing everything to start. We're probably going to bring O-Max off the bench if the season was to start tomorrow."

Lively acknowledged that he's naturally getting used to the level of physicality of his new opponents. A matchup against a jumbo frontcourt with two of the best bigs in the NBA certainly wasn't an easy first run at it, either. The Mavs remain confident in his ability to make a quicker adjustment than the typical rookie big, given how receptive he is to coaching, his desire to do the dirty work, and how often he communicates as the defensive anchor throughout games. 

"You have to be able to use a lot of physicality," Lively said of facing Gobert and Towns after his first NBA preseason game. "You have to speed up the game a little bit differently. The floor is bigger, but it just takes time to get used to it. You have to learn and move on to the next game.

"Just to be able to go up against two All-Stars like that — two people who have been in the league for multiple years and have made a name for themselves — you kind of just push yourself and realize how far you have to get, and just the steps you gotta take to get there," Lively explained.

How ready is Lively to take on the role of being the Mavs' defensive anchor? The embedded YouTube video below includes a comprehensive analysis of Lively's defensive impact. Subscribe to my channel for more content about Lively and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season.

A significant factor in the Mavs' success will be determined by how quickly Lively can acclimate to the NBA level. The team finished 25th in defensive rating and 30th in total rebounding percentage just a season ago, prompting them to work the phones for potential trade pursuits this summer, including Clint Capela and Deandre Ayton. No trade transpired, placing Lively in a prominent position. 

The Mavs will open the regular season with a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 25 at FrostBank Center. If Lively remains the starting center — as what appears to be the present plan — he must provide answers to contain rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.